Training and Dissemination
There are currently ten members of staff directly involved with the dissemination of ’good’ practice. Two members of staff work exclusively: one full time as a Training Manager, the other being a part time ICT co-ordinator. The remaining eight, who are a mixture of family support workers and teachers, undertake dissemination alongside their original role in the Centre.
Training and information officer
Recently appointed, the Training Officer is available to speak to regarding visiting the Centre or any training that is being offered by the Centre throughout the year. The Training Officer is responsible for creating training packages, promoting, and providing training to practitioners in the foundation stage.
ICT co-ordinator
This member of staff works alongside ICT co-ordinators in reception classes in four local schools, helping to raise technological input into the curriculum as well as provide support in order that these schools are able to create their own software to complement what is being covered in each classroom.
Network co-ordinator
Two members of staff work one day a week with staff in the Private and Voluntary sector offering help and advice with curriculum planning, activities and staff deployment as well as support. A family support Worker has been employed in order to replace existing members of staff to disseminate practice: this has helped to provide continuity for the children in the nursery.
One member of staff, who is the Out of School Club Co-ordinator, is working with other clubs in the same way as the network co-ordinators, helping to raise awareness and provision within each setting.
Childminders network group
The group, which runs on a Monday morning, has been established since 2000, and is run by a Family Support Worker, Linda Owen. There are approximately 25 childminders attending, they have access to their very own ‘Toy library’ and are supported further by the EYDCO attached to the High Peak. The groups have been on various trips including Cannon Hall Farm, and have also raised money for various charities including £400 raised for the Meningitis Trust.
Visitors
We receive visitors, county wide as well as countrywide! Being part of Early Excellence means we are open to other childcare providers to offer guidance, support and advice. The numbers of people visiting have rocketed since we won the Becta award, although it is important that visitors know that we aren’t just about ‘technology’. Our recent OFSTED report noted that ‘children are challenged to do particularly well in social, creative and early reading skills’, finding that by the time children leave the Centre they are achieving average or above average standards. We aim to give visitors as much information as possible and involve specific staff to best cater to their specific need. It is therefore important that visitors know what they are looking for specifically and what information they require, to get the most from their visit.
ICT and curriculum training
Since winning the Becta award for Innovation and Change the amount of people interested in cross-curricular ICT that we offer children has rocketed. We are offering training throughout the county and have found that we still cannot meet the demand. However, Gamesley Early Excellence Centre does offer training in specific areas of the curriculum. For example, we have recently completed a course on Creativity and Display. Later in the year we are offering a course on Outdoor Play and ICT, with future plans for a course on Language and Literacy in the Foundation Stage in 2004. The courses are presented by our recently appointed ‘Training and Information Officer’, who has worked alongside staff at the Centre, EYDCP and the Derbyshire Advisory Service to provide training locally and throughout the county.
EYDCP
We are working alongside the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership and private and voluntary settings staff on a personal level and have recently become involved in the development of training for the settings in the Derbyshire area.